The Dogfights of the 21st Century
The ‘Dogfights’ of the past have undergone a complete transformation in the modern battlefield. How is modern aerial combat performed and why does the Israeli Air Force still train for classic Dogfights?
IsraelDefense
| 16/01/2017
F-15I (Photo: IAF Archive)
During the 1967-1970 War of Attrition, the IAF attacked over 100 quality targets in Egyptian territory. Gamal Abdel Nasser, then president of Egypt, turned to the Soviets for help and they, in turn, deployed a large military force to Egypt that included MiG-21 fighters. Soon after, Israeli F-4 “Phantom” fighters were shot down by SAM (Surface-Air-Missile) Batteries that landed in Egypt along with the Soviet force.
The Israeli response was manifested in operation “Rimon 20” on July 30, 1970, when aerial ambush set for the Soviets. The plan was that four “Mirage-3” fighters would penetrate Egyptian territory for an alleged photography mission. As expected, the Soviets scrambled fighters to intercept them, but unbeknownst to them, four F-4 “Phantoms” and six other “Mirage-3” fighters were waiting, a short distance away. The plan for the clever ambush was formulated by the IAF’s Operations Department was a success and in a mass Dogfight of 24 Soviet MiG fighters and 14 Israeli fighters, the IAF downed five enemy aircraft and did not suffer any casualties. The mission was a success: the IAF restored its deterrence and aerial supremacy in the area.
According to the IAF website, the historic Dogfight was composed of several main points: the distance between the many aircraft was very small, and they were equipped with cannons and first generation rear-aspect engagement AAM (Air-to-air missiles). “We flew aircraft; today they fly aerial weapons systems. When we entered a Dogfight, we had to get on our enemies six and shoot him down from up close”, explains Col. (res.) Avraham Salmon who participated in the “Rimon 20” aerial battle and downed 14.5 enemy aircraft throughout his service in the IAF (one shared shoot-down with Brig. Gen. (res.) Iftach Spector in the battle against the Soviet MiGs).
Flying Weapons Systems
It is safe to assume that if such a battle occurred today, it would be completely different. With the help of advanced weapons systems, pilots can now engage in aerial combat from dozens of kilometers away, without even seeing the enemy aircraft with their eyes. “If in the past, dogfights were based on the pilots’ flying skills. Today, their ability to utilize the aircraft’s systems such as radar, missiles, and other avionic systems is of great significance," said Maj. Elad, Head of the Fighter Training Department.
The IAF utilizes, among other weapons, radar guided missiles. The “Sufa” (F-16I) “Ra’am” (F-15I) and “Baz” (F-15) are equipped with AMRAAM missiles that fly towards their target even after the launching aircraft unlocks (fire-and-forget) while other radar guided missiles need to be directed by the firing aircraft until they hit. “We try to launch the radar missiles at high altitudes and when the jet is pointed at the target," specifies Maj. Elad. At high altitudes, the missiles’ range rises due to the thin air that creates lower friction. The launch range also grows when the fighters launch while flying towards a target moving towards them ("Head On)."
Farther and Farther
In the event that the radar missiles fail to shoot down the enemy aircraft from a large distance and it continues moving closer, heat seeking missiles are utilized. Heat-seeking missiles are utilized in closer combat because they home in on the heat of the enemy aircraft’s engine and from a large distance, the heat is not noticeable.
For this purpose, the IAF utilizes "Python 5" missiles, which in certain conditions can be launched to a range of up to dozens of kilometers. The missile flies according to data from the aircraft’s radar until it “feels” the heat of the target’s engine and homes in on it. It is the most advanced heat-seeking missile in the IAF today and is capable of intercepting targets positioned behind the launching aircraft.
Despite the advanced armament and even though a Dogfight hasn’t taken place for over three decades, a significant part of the IAF’s fighter squadrons’ training program deals with close-quarter aerial combat. This is due to the fact that exercising the type of flight performed in such conditions improves the aircrews’ basic skills. “Just like a runner training for a marathon takes five and ten kilometer long jogs occasionally, flights are the same. You need to feel the jet in all situations,” explains Col. (res.) Salmon.
In the Dogfights of the 21st century, maneuverability is of lessened significance, as opposed to missiles and other technological systems, because missiles are launched from very large ranges. This fact puts the ability to identify the target aircraft at the head of the pilot’s priorities. A quality AAM (Air-to-Air-Missile) needs to have a forceful warhead that can deal with electronic warfare systems and high maneuverability. Simultaneously, the aircrew must decide which armament to utilize for each mission. “Flight today is different. You have to process a large amount of information and utilize the aircraft’s abilities and be able to fly it simultaneously. Even if you have a brilliant pilot, if he cannot control the aircraft systems, we will achieve nothing," stated Maj. Elad.
This article was originally published by Nadav Shaham on the IAF website
The ‘Dogfights’ of the past have undergone a complete transformation in the modern battlefield. How is modern aerial combat performed and why does the Israeli Air Force still train for classic Dogfights?
During the 1967-1970 War of Attrition, the IAF attacked over 100 quality targets in Egyptian territory. Gamal Abdel Nasser, then president of Egypt, turned to the Soviets for help and they, in turn, deployed a large military force to Egypt that included MiG-21 fighters. Soon after, Israeli F-4 “Phantom” fighters were shot down by SAM (Surface-Air-Missile) Batteries that landed in Egypt along with the Soviet force.
The Israeli response was manifested in operation “Rimon 20” on July 30, 1970, when aerial ambush set for the Soviets. The plan was that four “Mirage-3” fighters would penetrate Egyptian territory for an alleged photography mission. As expected, the Soviets scrambled fighters to intercept them, but unbeknownst to them, four F-4 “Phantoms” and six other “Mirage-3” fighters were waiting, a short distance away. The plan for the clever ambush was formulated by the IAF’s Operations Department was a success and in a mass Dogfight of 24 Soviet MiG fighters and 14 Israeli fighters, the IAF downed five enemy aircraft and did not suffer any casualties. The mission was a success: the IAF restored its deterrence and aerial supremacy in the area.
According to the IAF website, the historic Dogfight was composed of several main points: the distance between the many aircraft was very small, and they were equipped with cannons and first generation rear-aspect engagement AAM (Air-to-air missiles). “We flew aircraft; today they fly aerial weapons systems. When we entered a Dogfight, we had to get on our enemies six and shoot him down from up close”, explains Col. (res.) Avraham Salmon who participated in the “Rimon 20” aerial battle and downed 14.5 enemy aircraft throughout his service in the IAF (one shared shoot-down with Brig. Gen. (res.) Iftach Spector in the battle against the Soviet MiGs).
Flying Weapons Systems
It is safe to assume that if such a battle occurred today, it would be completely different. With the help of advanced weapons systems, pilots can now engage in aerial combat from dozens of kilometers away, without even seeing the enemy aircraft with their eyes. “If in the past, dogfights were based on the pilots’ flying skills. Today, their ability to utilize the aircraft’s systems such as radar, missiles, and other avionic systems is of great significance," said Maj. Elad, Head of the Fighter Training Department.
The IAF utilizes, among other weapons, radar guided missiles. The “Sufa” (F-16I) “Ra’am” (F-15I) and “Baz” (F-15) are equipped with AMRAAM missiles that fly towards their target even after the launching aircraft unlocks (fire-and-forget) while other radar guided missiles need to be directed by the firing aircraft until they hit. “We try to launch the radar missiles at high altitudes and when the jet is pointed at the target," specifies Maj. Elad. At high altitudes, the missiles’ range rises due to the thin air that creates lower friction. The launch range also grows when the fighters launch while flying towards a target moving towards them ("Head On)."
Farther and Farther
In the event that the radar missiles fail to shoot down the enemy aircraft from a large distance and it continues moving closer, heat seeking missiles are utilized. Heat-seeking missiles are utilized in closer combat because they home in on the heat of the enemy aircraft’s engine and from a large distance, the heat is not noticeable.
For this purpose, the IAF utilizes "Python 5" missiles, which in certain conditions can be launched to a range of up to dozens of kilometers. The missile flies according to data from the aircraft’s radar until it “feels” the heat of the target’s engine and homes in on it. It is the most advanced heat-seeking missile in the IAF today and is capable of intercepting targets positioned behind the launching aircraft.
Despite the advanced armament and even though a Dogfight hasn’t taken place for over three decades, a significant part of the IAF’s fighter squadrons’ training program deals with close-quarter aerial combat. This is due to the fact that exercising the type of flight performed in such conditions improves the aircrews’ basic skills. “Just like a runner training for a marathon takes five and ten kilometer long jogs occasionally, flights are the same. You need to feel the jet in all situations,” explains Col. (res.) Salmon.
In the Dogfights of the 21st century, maneuverability is of lessened significance, as opposed to missiles and other technological systems, because missiles are launched from very large ranges. This fact puts the ability to identify the target aircraft at the head of the pilot’s priorities. A quality AAM (Air-to-Air-Missile) needs to have a forceful warhead that can deal with electronic warfare systems and high maneuverability. Simultaneously, the aircrew must decide which armament to utilize for each mission. “Flight today is different. You have to process a large amount of information and utilize the aircraft’s abilities and be able to fly it simultaneously. Even if you have a brilliant pilot, if he cannot control the aircraft systems, we will achieve nothing," stated Maj. Elad.
This article was originally published by Nadav Shaham on the IAF website
